Awakenings
by Stellar StarElven
Summary: A thread covering interaction between Dra'Keshi and the SQT
1. Awakening 1

Written in cooperation with Franklin Vittoe.
    
     
    
    *****
    
     
    
    (over 3 millennia before present time)
    
    Varlei rounded yet another corner of the long and twisting stone passage.
    
    The old elf had come this way only twice before to speak with
    
    Farlaveshkisante'maloricahn, the ancient dragon sage.Varlei called him 
    
    Farl for short, at the dragon's own request, on the few occasions when the 
    
    old elven sage had sought the dragon sage's advice.Presenting the proper 
    
    formalities to the ancient wyrm, the elven sage leaned upon his long staff 
    
    for support as he spoke his reason for coming.
    
     
    
    "The war goes poorly.We have not the edge to take the upper-hand and 
    
    neither do they.If something is not done to offset the balance of power, I 
    
    can see no end to the struggle between light and dark.What wisdom can your 
    
    great mind provide old friend?"
    
     
    
    (roughly a year later)
    
    "Old friend.I know of the pain and loss your race endures, yet none but we 
    
    two can know of the existence of the Dra'Keshi until they are old enough to 
    
    be used against the dark ones.Patience must be observed for our secret is 
    
    not yet ready to be used to turn the tide of this war."Farl mentally spoke 
    
    to Varlei, taking no chances that the warning might be heard by unwelcome 
    
    ears.The elven sage nodded with understanding as he turned to make the 
    
    long walk
    
    back through the stone caverns to his home.
    
    Varlei's eyes went wide with disbelief and pain as the blade tore upward 
    
    from his gut and impaled his heart.Moving soundlessly in great number, the 
    
    dark elves slipped into the dragon's lair.Even as far as Varlei's home 
    
    city the ancient dragon's roars could be heard
    
    as he battled them, the fight lasted hours and none would ever know how many 
    
    of the dr'owe perished before the great dragon sage gasped it's dying 
    
    breath.
    
     
    
    (present time)
    
    Neeva glides effortlessly along her assigned patrol route with nothing but 
    
    her own thoughts for company.The beating of her great wings pushing her 
    
    along at impressive speed parallel to the sector edge.Lysia had taken 
    
    Zylen's request very seriously and sent several of her best among the 
    
    SheerWing clan to scout further than they had done before now.Her sister 
    
    Neeva had been overjoyed at being selected and departed without delay.A 
    
    slight tingle on the fringe of her senses caught Neeva's attention and she 
    
    focused upon the cause.She had never smelled the scent before now, yet it 
    
    somehow seemed familiar to her.Her blood raced suddenly and she felt a 
    
    desire for blood that she could not explain.Twisting her long draconic 
    
    form sharply, Neeva slid cautiously through space toward the unknown 
    
    objects.
    
     
    
    *********
    
     
    
    The Spiderships held motionless in the void.There were two Black Widows 
    
    and a Tarantula.Aboard the Tarantula, Priestess Commander Prenia Arachnia 
    
    sat sullenly in the command chair, fuming.She was still sore at being
    
    given command of a survey mission.After all, she was a priestess of House 
    
    Arachnia, the most powerful noble house in all the Theocracy, and she was 
    
    the granddaughter of Phaere Arachnia.Why should she have a survey mission.
    
    Dull, boring and utterly useless.That was when her science officer spoke 
    
    up.
    
     
    
    "Mistress, object about 50000 kilometers away."
    
     
    
    "Is it a ship?" she replied.
    
     
    
    "Hard to say, mistress, but it appears to be so."
    
     
    
    "Configuration?"
    
     
    
    "One moment."The science officer pressed a few buttons and intensified his 
    
    scan."Mistress, it appears to be draconic.And possibly alive as well.
    
    It carries its own atmosphere."
    
     
    
    "Interesting.Communications, open a standard hailing frequency" Prenia 
    
    ordered.
    
     
    
    "Frequency open, Priestess Commander."
    
     
    
    "Unidentified draconic vessel, you are passing near the borders of the 
    
    sovereign space of The Spider Queen Theocracy.State your business and
    
    intentions."
    
     
    
    The hail was sent, and the Theocracy ship awaited the reply.Prenia gave 
    
    another order."Signal the Black Widows to arm their weapons and raise 
    
    their shields.If this thing attacks, we don't know what to expect.The
    
    Black Widows should keep it busy while we get back to Theocracy territory 
    
    and make our report to our noble matron."
    
     
    
    The Black Widow class Spiderships powered up their weapons arrays and their 
    
    shields went up.All the dr'owe could do now was wait.
    
    *********
    
     
    
    Twisting her wings, Neeva backbeats until she comes to a halt some distance 
    
    from the three vessels.There were many minds within those shells and one 
    
    of the shells was sending organized signals toward her.Casting a
    
    translation spell, the adult female dragon heard the signals become words 
    
    within her mind.
    
    She did not care for being referred to as a vessel, and there was something 
    
    else unexplainable.The words while non-threatening, stirred her blood
    
    toward a frenzy.It was an illogical reaction, but somehow she felt hatred 
    
    for those minds within the vessels before her.
    
    In the end it was a quiet voice in the back of her draconic mind that 
    
    stilled her desire to attack the ships and feast upon those within.
    
    She could feel the heat as two of the ships moved protectively around the 
    
    third.Sensing the hostile nature of that occurrence, Neeva weaved a force 
    
    shield around herself in response.
    
    'Bring me good news my sister.'The memory of Lysia's parting words to 
    
    Neeva surfaced to the top of her raging emotions.She would bring this news 
    
    to her sister, be it good or not.
    
    Reversing her thoughts through the spell, the magic sent back a bioelectric 
    
    signal that closely matched the pattern of the dr'owe hail.
    
     
    
    'We are Dra'Keshi.This is our home.Do not enter here, for only death 
    
    will greet you.'
    
    Unknown to Neeva's mind, two more words were included on the tail of the 
    
    magical sending.A warning of sorts sent by the blood, which flowed through 
    
    her veins.The large female dragon coiled and turned in place, with several
    
    powerful beats of her great wings the Dra'Keshi vanished from sight and 
    
    sensors.The final parting words resounding in the void of her departure.
    
    'We Remember!'

***

Neeva touched down upon the large stone balcony and returned to her elven form. Her vision blurring several times on the short walk to her sister Lysia's throne. She was able to recount the encounter and her own personal impressions before the female Drak collapsed unconscious at her sister's feet. Once Neeva was seen safely to her bed, Lysia sat through the night beside her sister as the strange fever which had taken hold on her raged on. Within her tortured dreams, an old elf with only one form spoke to an even older dragon with only one form also. They discussed a way to end some great war and then went on to begin the process. A new being was created using the magic and blood of both dragon and elf. A mate of the opposite sex was also created and the pair were placed upon an empty planet with stars that Neeva recognized. The elf and dragon then used powerful magics upon several normal hares to make them grow to incredible size and left them to multiply upon a planet of endless grasslands. It all grew dark then and Neeva's dreams revealed the face of her enemy. Unknown to the Drak, an ancient magic which had slept dormant within her blood and the blood of all Dra'Keshi since their creation had been awakened by Neeva's contact with the Dr'owe. Coming several millennia to late, Varlei 's answer had finally met the question. Neeva's blood boiled and surged through her system as the carefully placed knowledge was poured into her subconscious mind. 

The female Drak sat bolt upright within her bed and screamed. She was coated in sweat from the blood fever that had raged through her system for   
3 solid days and nights since her return home. Lysia who had been sleeping within a chair beside the bed woke with a start and moved to comfort her sister. 

T'yren led his wing toward the zone where Neeva had encountered the spider ships. They would pay for poisoning the Queen's sister...They would pay with blood and death. Signaling for his wing to halt, the 20 Dra'Keshi in V formation behind T' yren backwinged to a stop and awaited their Wingleader's command. The great dragon's scaled head turning this way and that as he scanned the area where the contact had taken place. 

Sending a mental touch to the mind of his Queen, T'yren awaited Lysia's response. When the mind link was accepted, the Dra'Keshi Wingleader began without hesitation. 'We have arrived at the designated location Majesty...'

*****

Preistess~Commander Prenia Arachnia sat in the command chair of the   
lead Black Widow. "I don't think I will complain about survey   
missions anymore. This is the first excitement I have had in months"   
she thought to herself. Just then her musings were interrupted by   
her tactical officer.  
  
"Mistress, long-range scans indicate the presence of about 21   
Dra'Keshi. Estimated time to contact, 15 minutes."  
  
"Excellent...Signal all ships, arm all weapons and raise all   
shields. We are not to fire until fired upon. The ship who does   
will have its entire crew executed." Prenia ordered.  
  
"Orders acknowledged" her communications officer said a moment later.  
  
"Now, communications, signal those Stealth Spiders that we have   
received their advisement and are enroute."  
  
"Signal acknowledged, mistress." came the reply.  
  
The atmosphere on board the spiderships was one of palpable tension.   
Every other alien race the Theocracy had met had wanted diplomatic,   
peaceful relations. Hostile action was hardly even thought of. This   
was the first time The Spider Queen Theocracy had ever met a new race   
where enmity was the first and only real possibility. Of course,   
they weren't really a new race, but they might as well have been. No   
dr'owe had ever actually met a Dra'Keshi, but if the Council of Eight   
was right, this new race had the same faerie elven ancestry as the   
Dr'owe.  
  
"Dra'Keshi in visual range, preistess~Commander" the tactical  
officer spoke up.  
  
"On screen" Prenia ordered.  
  
*****  
  
T'yren watched the flickering ships appear and disappear with growing   
impatience. They were obviously stalling for some reason and he was   
in no mood for games. Long-range fire would be futile against the   
quickly moving and vanishing spiders. Just as he was about to order   
the wing to break formation and enter close combat, a fleet of large   
spider-ships appeared behind the small ones.  
  
'Start a mega-bolt.' T'yren mentally ordered his wing as he focused   
his mind upon one of the largest near the center of the arriving   
group.  
Beginning with the two Draks at the ends of the V formation, a   
powerful charge of electric energy was generated and sent forward   
into the Drak ahead of them. As each Drak felt the electric charge   
move toward them, they in turn began to build and send forward. This   
having the affect of insulating themselves from the charge and   
increasing it in power as the twin bolts moved along the line toward   
their Wingleader at the point position.   
As the energy reached the third rank back from T'yren it began to arc   
visibly between the Draks causing a "Jacob's Ladder" effect.   
Maintaining his focus upon the target, T'yren felt the charge   
approaching from behind to either side and generated his also. The   
visible light show could be called nothing short of spectacular as   
the huge bolt of lightning rolled away from the V point toward one of   
the Tarantula ships near the center of the dr'owe fleet.  
  
Aboard the Tarantula, the commander, a male, newly appointed saw the   
electric discharge and yelled, "Evasive Maneuvers, NOW!"  
  
"TOO LATE!" the helmsman screamed. The charged slammed full force   
into the Tarantula, causing the ship to shudder and jolt violently.   
Crew and Commander were slung around like so many rag dolls. When   
the haze cleared, the commander stood up. "Damage report!" he called.  
  
The tactical officer replied quickly. "Shield down 70%...Bio~Burner   
damaged and inoperable...Life Support functioning at 75%   
capacity...Fleet Lasers out, Radiance missile targeting   
nonfunctional...it will be a few moments before the Tarantula   
recovers"  
  
"Damn...Weapons...when this ship recovers...FIRE AT WILL!"  
  
'Cast Battle-shields and focus breath on the other three large   
spiders near the center.' T'yren orders as he begins to spin the   
quad layered shield around himself as well. A shimmer of magenta   
force, a red aura, a white aura and a distortion effect appeared   
momentarily around all the Dra'Keshi.   
The shimmer effects vanished from visibility however the shields   
remained there unseen to standard vision. Opening his maw, T'yren   
released a blast of white-hot solar radiance toward another of the   
Tarantula vessels, which lurched violently, but its shields   
held...another hit like that though, and their shields would be   
gone. His light blast being joined by several from his wing as   
others lanced out toward separate targets. It would be difficult to   
moderate the battle once it moved into close combat, T'yren could   
feel the rage flowing in his own blood and knew it was shared by all   
his fellow kin. For now they were holding to his commands despite   
the bloodlust that raged within.  
  
With his breath weapon spent for the moment, T'yren cast and sent a   
fireball flying toward a cluster of the small vanishing and   
reappearing ships. Not expecting it to do much, the Drak was   
interested to see what effect it would have anyhow. A Stealth Spider   
de~cloaked in the path of the fireball and was barely able to dodge.   
Noting a couple other spell effects in the form of two more   
fireballs, an ice bolt, and a ball of electricity which T'yren   
recognized as chain lightning, drifting toward parts of the   
arrayed force as his kin joined in the offensive spell casting.  
  
****  
  
Preistess~Comander Prenia Arachnia saw the bolt of electricity lance   
toward the Tarantula. "Obviously the fools think the Fleet Commander   
is aboard one of the larger SpiderShips." she though to herself.  
  
"Communications, signal all ships, Battle Formations and fire at   
will. Signal Invidia Dal'sein and her Stealth Spiders to add weapons   
to their disappearing acts, and then prepare for close combat."  
  
The group of Black Widows and Tarantulas took up five formations of   
four ships each and began loosing volleys of death at their enemies.   
Fleet Lasers lit up the space around them as Necro~Phasers seem to   
steal that light away. Radiance Missiles streaked toward their   
targets with unerring precision.  
  
The Stealth Spiders continued to cloak and de~cloak in random   
positions, but now they held each spot a little longer in order to   
fire. The crews of the Stealth Spiders did not bother to target   
their foes, because the targeting computers were unable to function   
under an active cloak, and to target while de~cloaked would add   
precious seconds to the time they were vulnerable. Besides, their   
job wasn't to hit their targets, just add a little confusion to their   
enemies' list of problems. Still a few shots did manage to impact.  
  
The counter-strike was devastating. And their own assault appeared   
to have done very little. Only the Mega-shock seemed to have any   
notable effect, and could not be reproduced for a full day's time.   
T'yren felt the life force of 3 Draks vanish and several others   
flickered dangerously as the onslaught poured into them. The   
wingmate in first rank to his right froze stunned as a missile   
impacted upon his force shield, a second missile passing through the   
eliminated shield disintegrated the dragon entirely in a blaze   
of light and heat. Two others in the left wing were held motionless   
in the dark beams of energy, which slowly drained the life from within   
them. Another missile darted in to kill one of them instantly while   
several more of the dark beams fixed upon the other and left him a   
lifeless husk drifting off into space.  
  
Two of the Dra'Keshi near the rear of the right wing were badly   
wounded by missile blasts and were not responding to his attempts for   
mindspeak. T'yren lost track of them as he barely dodged under a   
tracking missile which then spun around and blasted him forward from   
behind. The force shield had taken the full impact and been   
destroyed, yet the Wingleader floated dazed for a moment afterward.  
  
The only chance would be to close quickly and hope for better result   
in close quarters. T'yren groggily ordered his wing to break   
formation and close, moving forward rather slower than his kin as his   
wings were not yet responding as they should. The two badly wounded   
Draks never made close combat as the rain of death from ahead slammed   
into them. Another from the left wing also fell under a triple   
impact of missile and twin dark beams before most of the Dra'Keshi   
reached grappling range.  
  
The first Tarantula that was hit was grateful for the three ships   
that joined it to lay down covering fire while it recovered.   
Finally, the ship was somewhat functional, and its weapons added   
their own bolts of death to the fray.  
  
The dr'owe then saw the draks moving toward them. Aboard her Black   
Widow, Prenia Arachnia sent out more orders to her fleet. "All   
ships, prepare for close combat." she barked. The Spiderships began   
unfolding their legs in order to grapple their opponents and inflict   
their deadly bites.  
  
The Dra'Keshi wing slammed into the Dr'owe fleet with savage blood   
fury, latching onto a few of the large ships with all four claws and   
tearing at them with powerful jaws. While the smaller ships were   
caught with one or two claws. In some cases leaving the Drak   
suspended between 2 or even 3 of the vessels as it grappled with them.  
  
T'yren seeing that the central Tarantula was recovered and still   
fighting, finally arrived in range himself and launched himself fully   
onto the damaged spider-ship. The Tarantula's tactical officer, a   
novitiate priestess, began mentally directing her ship to bite, but   
the Tarantula couldn't get a hold secure enough. It was ripped to   
shreds by the great dragon's claws and fangs.  
  
Meanwhile, another of the draks was successfully holding off a   
Tarantula's fangs, but he didn't notice the Stealth Spider de~cloak   
right above him, until it was too late. The barbs at the end of its   
legs ripped through his scales and the spider's fangs bit deeply into   
his back, injecting its deadly poison. Within moments the great   
dragon was dead, but the Tarantula it was attacking was effectively   
out of action, four of its eight legs ripped off, and its weapons   
array utterly useless. It moved out of the fight to give itself time   
to heal.  
  
Finally, with the injuries sustained by both sides, and Prenia   
Arachnia's ship severely damaged, operating on its radiance drive   
alone, the fight couldn't continue...neither side could win. Prenia   
barked out another order..."Communications, signal what's left of our   
fleet to disengage and return home. We can't win here today." All   
told, after the carnage, there were seven spiderships left, two Black   
Widows, two Tarantulas and three Stealth Spiders. The Stealth   
Spiders cloaked and fled, the Tarantulas laid down a covering fire,   
not targeting, just keeping the enemy at bay while the Black Widows   
retreated, and then the Tarantulas themselves left. One of the   
draks fired a last solar flare at the tail end Tarantula, and it   
exploded in a volley of bright crimson flame. By this time the rest   
of the Spiderships were well out of range.   
  
T'yren ordered the remaining Draks to hold position and somehow they   
obeyed. Taking a few moments to look over the battlefield, the   
Wingleader had mixed feelings. It could have gone much better he   
thought, however it could also have gone much worse. Sending a quick   
mental message to Lysia, T'yren informed his queen that they were   
returning home. Advising that the patrol net be extended into this   
section of space and buffered by wings rather than solo scouts.   
Lysia replied that such had already been decided and would be in   
effect before they arrived back home.  
Turning the remains of his tattered wing back toward Dervish, the   
Draks vanished from the zone enroute to their homeworld.

Lysia felt relieved as she paced restlessly within her younger   
sister's bedroom. Neeva's fever had reduced somewhat since  
the night she woke from her nightmare/memory. Lysia was unsure just   
exactly which it had been, perhaps an equal mix of both rolled in one.  
  
The announcement that T'yren was returning from the rather  
stalemate skirmish he had overseen, this also eased Lysia's tense   
nerves as she had been concerned about loosing T'yren and his  
wing due to the blood rage which was currently affecting all of their   
decisions. Altering the course of her pacing for a moment to change   
the cold compress upon Neeva's forehead and recast the air spell  
she had set to blow across her sister's internally heated skin.  
  
Zylen had used his finely honed mental skills to keep tempers fairly   
calm on Heartstone so as not to disrupt the proceedings with the   
Andorian ambassador. Lysia had been pleased to learn that Ash was to   
be sent to live among the Andorians, she could think of none other   
more suited to that position.  
  
T'ylen would be arriving at the garden right about now. Lysia   
contemplated as she resumed pacing within Neeva's room. How   
desperately the Queen wished to be there waiting when he arrived. To   
caress and massage his tired muscles and lie with him in the pool   
below the great falls. To hide within the lush plant life there and   
make love as they had done from time to time during their childhood.   
She could not leave her sister alone in her current state however, so   
no such rendezvous would be possible.  
  
Neeva tossed in her fitful slumber and mumbled odd words as her body   
continued to fight against the fever, which seemed bent upon   
consuming her.  
  
T'yren had indeed arrived at the garden as Lysia had anticipated  
and he sent his love and wish that she could be there with him. He   
layered the sending with understanding as to why she could not come   
to him and expressed his anticipation toward seeing her when he   
arrived back in Tazi, the capital city on Dervish.  
The large natural garden surrounding a waterfall of impressive   
proportions, was a favored relaxation spot for Draks of all 3 clans.   
And while visited quite frequently somehow remained a rather private   
and solitary site for relaxation. Among the Dra'Keshi the garden  
was called the Mist Garden due to the persistent presence of mist   
caused by the waterfall.  
  
While it was not uncommon to find the site occupied, T'yren was   
rather surprised to find Cindra there when he arrived. Mist Garden   
was not Cindra's usual scene, she typically avoided natural  
locations in preference for ballrooms and art galleries.  
T'yren reverted to elven form and slipped out of his clothing  
before diving into the pool. The cool water felt pleasant over the   
reddish colored skin across his back and legs where the Dr'owe  
missile had singed him. After greeting Cindra politely and swimming   
about for a few moments, T'yren moved to float comfortably within  
the shallows at one side of the pool. The Dra'Keshi Wingleader  
jumped at Cindra's unwelcome touch upon his shoulders. Cindra  
knew full well how T'yren felt about Lysia, however that  
knowledge had never dissuaded the female from making advances on the   
high-ranked Wingleader.  
T'yren once again curtly declined Cindra's advances however  
unlike the few previous occasions the female Drak would not be so   
easily brushed off.  
  
"Do you not find me attractive?" She countered, flaunting  
her rather generous attributes in a blatant show for T'yren.  
  
"You are attractive. Which you know full well yourself. Such  
being the case you could easily have most any male of your choosing.   
You also know full well of my love and loyalty to Lysia. I would   
appreciate it if you would respect that knowledge and curtail any   
further of these exploits of yours." He responded in return as  
he exited the pool and began to dress back into his clothing.  
  
"Fool! You will never know what a poor decision this is which  
you have made. I would have been satisfied to gain honor as your   
mate, however the prestige I receive from besting you will be even   
more delicious. I Cindra challenge you T'yren to solo combat. We  
shall battle to the death in the Arena at first light of the  
morrow."   
The rejected female Drak spat as she rose and transformed to Dragon   
without looking back.  
  
Rubbing the back of his sore and lightly burned neck, T'yren  
began to feel he was getting too old for all this drama and took   
flight into draconic form, with Tazi being his destination.  
  
When T'yren arrived he found Lysia sleeping in the chair beside   
Neeva's bed. Despite her half-hearted refusal, the Wingleader   
carried his queen to her own bedroom and kissed her goodnight as she   
drifted off to sleep. Returning to Neeva's room, T'yren sat  
within the chair to watch over his fiancé's sister. Occasionally  
he placed a new compress on her forehead and refreshed the air spell.

*****

Lysia woke to find herself within her own bed and muttered a loving   
curse at her fiancé's thoughtfulness. Slipping into a quick bath  
and then dressing for the day, the queen walked quietly into  
Neeva's room and found T'yren watching dutifully over her.  
The handsome elf glanced over and smiled broadly upon Lysia's   
arrival. Rising silently from the chair, a more serious look   
overtook his features as he gestured toward a couch at the opposite   
end of the room.  
"Sleep well dear? We have much to talk about and it would be  
best discussed with a clear mind...or as clear as possible in the   
current circumstance."  
Lysia nodded and her pleasant smile faded slightly as she followed   
T'yren to the couch. Sitting down beside him, she lightly traced  
a finger along the contours of her soon-to-be mate's muscular arm.  
"What is it which causes such a serious expression to shackle  
your face love?" She spoke softly and waited for him to answer  
in his own time, placing no pressure on him to hurry his response.  
  
Finally breathing slowly to try and calm his raging blood, T'yren   
begins. "Our recent skirmish with the spiders concerns me.   
While there was no obvious victor in that battle it could easily have   
gone against us. They are quite powerful and adaptive. It was much   
like fighting another Drak... One thing is certain. If a cure for   
this rage we all feel is not found soon it could easily spell our   
downfall." Fixing his gaze upon Neeva's sleeping form across  
the room, T'yren muses. "Do you think she holds the cure  
within her? I sense a glimmer of hope when I am near to your sister   
which fades from me when I am distant..."  
  
Lysia turns to look over at Neeva and then back to him. "Zylen  
said much the same thing when he brushed her mind. Perhaps she holds   
not only the cure to this blood rage but also answers to which we   
know not the questions yet."  
Nodding in agreement of his betrothed's words, T'yren  
continues.  
  
"Cindra has challenged me to solo combat... The appointed time  
being first light, which is even now but an hour away. I fear that   
she may be acting rashly under the effects of the rage, yet how can I   
refute her right? To do so would be to defy Zylen himself..."  
Lysia nodded sadly and answered. "I know of this. For she, as   
challenger, is required to contact me to gain approval to use the   
arena. I feel as you do, that she is acting under the influence of   
this blood rage. However it was my duty to inform Zylen of the   
challenge and his decision was to allow it. Even so, I know that you   
can find a way of defeating her without an ending in death..."  
  
T'yren nodded solemnly and patted her hand lovingly. Rising he  
bowed formally and set off to prepare himself for the upcoming fight.  
  
The Dra'Keshi Wingleader was present within the arena several  
minutes prior to the appointed time. A few of his kin had gathered   
about the bowl of the site out of curiosity. Lysia had however kept   
this event fairly quiet as she had no wish for it to bring about even   
more challenges if the watchers became emotional in witness of the   
battle. Still a solo combat could not take place without attracting   
some attention, and this one had done so despite Lysia's care in   
arranging it.  
  
Cindra arrived as first light brightened the upper lip of the huge,   
bowl-shaped crater. The female dragon made no move to revert and bow   
in respect as was polite when starting solo combat. T'yren   
nevertheless bowed respectfully and took dragon form himself.  
No sooner had he changed than Cindra spun about whipping her tail in   
a low sweep intending to knock her opponent off-balance. T'yren   
leapt over the sweep with a quick flick of his wings and flexing of   
his powerful leg muscles.  
The spin leaving the female Drak momentarily off balance due to the   
missed strike, gave T'yren an opening to deliver a moderate kick  
to Cindra's exposed right flank. The blow more damaging to the  
female dragon's pride than by any physical measure, caused her   
already enraged mindset to slip into an even more berserk state.   
Turning to face her foe once again, Cindra opened her maw and   
breathed a beam of solar heat directly toward T'yren.   
Dra'Keshi being immune to most of the effects of their own  
breath, the attack did succeed in momentarily blinding the male   
dragon and causing him to slip into a more defensive position to   
avoid most of the blast.  
Following along in the wake of the breath, T'yren could sense  
Cindra casting. He recognized the forming spell and noted that she   
was lacking of talent in the magical arts. Thinking that Cindra   
might have found her time better spent in visiting the library   
instead of going to parties and galas at every opportunity.  
The Wingleader quickly worked his own casting and had far more talent   
with it than Cindra. An instant before releasing the spell, she   
realized her mistake as a mirror-like wall of force shimmered   
directly in front of her icy blast. Reflected back upon her, Cindra   
took the full force of her own spell. Finding her limbs slow to   
react under the effects of the cold, Cindra silently cursed as she   
watched helplessly the leaping form of T'yren as he descended in  
a deadly maneuver that would snap her spine just behind the first   
neck ridge.  
Rather than bringing his scaled foot down upon his foe's neck,   
however, T'yren landed his hind claws on either side of her neck  
and lowered his draconic eyes to look directly into Cindra's own.  
He spoke softly, yet the statement magnified by the bowl could be   
heard clear to the outer ring.  
"Cease this madness, you are beaten. Accept the loss of standing  
and perhaps spend more time in study than at parties."  
Lysia, who was required to be in attendance for such occasions as   
this, nodded in agreement that T'yren was the victor. Her   
proclamation of this was as good as if Zylen himself were doing so   
and none could dispute the decision.  
Hidden within herself, the queen beamed with pride that her betrothed   
had chosen to end the fight without killing the challenger, even   
though he had every right to do so.  
It was not forbidden to use breath in solo combat, however as an   
unspoken practice very few Dra'Keshi ever resorted to such a  
tactic and those who did were seen as cowardly and dishonorable by   
their kin.  
  
Following her declaration of the combat's result, Lysia returned  
to her sister's side and was joined a short time later by  
T'yren after he had cooled off from the battle.  
"I love you..." Lysia began as he entered.  
"...For all time" T'yren completed the statement as he  
lifted her in his arms and cradled Lysia into his lap upon sitting in   
the chair beside Neeva's bed.  
The little game being more meaningful than the words alone could be,   
the pair sat quietly together and watched over the sleeping, feverish   
Drak whom they both cared a great deal for also.  
  
Neeva tossed restlessly in her sleep as dark visions of battles she   
had never seen and people she had never met swirled within her   
subconscious mind.


	2. Awakening 2

Written in cooperation with Franklin Vittoe.

*****

Flying in third left rank of the patrol wing, Cindra fumed silently over the outcome of her challenge fight against T'yren. 

*** 

The fever had worsened greatly. Despite the seeming improvement of earlier, Neeva's temperature rose at an alarming rate that caused both Lysia and T'yren a great deal of concern. They had finally found it a necessity to move her into the bath chamber and had her soaking in ice water to fight against the rising heat. Both of them feeling totally helpless, Lysia and T'yren paced within the chamber. Occasionally using magic to add more ice to the constantly heating water around Neeva. 

"Xin'Drak" Neeva mumbled in her fevered sleep, causing both of the Dra'Keshi watching over her to stop in mid-pace and look between her and each other with widened eyes. 

*** 

As the patrol wing turned for it's final pass along the border region of the sector, Cindra watched the group of spider ships off in the distance. The spider ships seemed to be doing much the same as they, simply patrolling along their edge of the border. Finally something snapped within the dishonored female. Breaking formation, Cindra darted into range and opened fire upon one of the Black Widow ships with her solar breath. The unexpected attack caught the crew unprepared, shields were not raised in time and the radiant beam burned into the side of the spider cutting it nearly in half and setting it aflame. The patrol Wingleader cursed and ordered Cindra back into formation when she first moved, however she refused to listen. Leaping into action, the other spider vessels locked weapons and fired upon the rogue Drak. Cindra had little time to regret her action as 3 dark beams drained the life from her body. Even as her now lifeless form drifted off, the rest of the Dra'Keshi wing turned to engage the spider group. Feeling the rage within his own blood, the Wingleader could not have halted the reaction as the entire wing broke apart and opened fire individually upon the spiders. 

The rest of the patrol group of Spiderships saw the Drak break formation and fire, but it was too late...the Black Widow was as good as destroyed. The lead ship's Preistess~Commander frantically ordered the rest of the ships to raise shields and fire. Battle was joined as the patrol sent out a call for help. 

"Attention all Spider Patrols in Dra'Keshi/Theocracy border zone, assistance needed immediately, we have engaged the Dra'Keshi." Several more patrols, powered by their Faith Drives, which in this Q~Zone were unmatched for speed, appeared and joined the fight. 

*** 

"But that is only a myth isn't it?" T'yren mused as he and Lysia pondered the meaning of Neeva's feverish statement. "Most myths are based upon fact..." Lysia reminded him as she sat upon a chair and carefully studied her sister's face. "Forsid would know more about it than anyone...he is the eldest living Drak." Sending a mental contact, the Queen of Dervish opened a mindspeak to the King of Ember. 

'...would be quite powerful. It was attempted several times but never with any success. Odd that she should utter such. Even considering her fever it does not seem like a coincidence to me. I shall send Tarsha along with my journal to join you in your research. She likely knows more of it than I, as this old mind of mine grows foggy thinking back that far. Tarsha has been studying the old histories extensively and could be of great assistance in this.' Forsid responded as they ended the mental conversation. 

'Many thanks old friend.' Lysia closed and turned with a smile toward T'yren. "Tarsha is coming for a visit." The queen explained as she returned her attention to watching over Neeva. 

T'yren was waiting on the balcony when the FlameTalon arrived and escorted Tarsha in to where Lysia was watching over her sister in the bath chamber. With a smile and nod toward the queen, Tarsha sat cross-legged upon the floor and began pulling old books and scrolls from the pack she carried. 

"It was never fully understood..." The female Drak from Ember began as she flipped through a book and pointed out several entries. "The training had only just started when the sage vanished mysteriously and never returned. It says here that the old elf had explained what was supposed to happen and instructed them on the first stage of the casting. When he never returned to complete the instruction it was recorded here and a few attempts were made without any success..." 

*** 

It was a total massacre. The remaining 3 Dra'Keshi turned from the field where the rest of the wing had been annihilated. Making all possible speed toward Dervish as it was the nearest of the homeworlds, one of the two males began to fall behind as his left wing was badly torn from a missile detonation. The female was not much better off. One of her eyes melted by a laser blast and her tail, still numb from a necro-phaser hit, trailing limply behind throwing her balance off. 

"Attention all Spiderships. We will report 'No Dra'Keshi Survivors'...Repeat 'No Dra'Keshi Survivors." Every Spidership Commander knew what that meant. Their numbers had been reduced, but not as bad as the first encounter. This time they had anticipated the Draks' battle rage and used it against them, fighting with no mercy. Several of the remaining Black Widows pulled out ahead of the Tarantulas and closed with the wounded Dra'Keshi survivors. There were only three. "Easy pickings" the dr'owe aboard thought. All the Black Widows fired their Necro Phasers simultaneously. The Dra'Keshi were killed almost instantly, their lifeless bodies drifting through the void. Invidia Dal'Sein, aboard one of the Black Widows, and leader of the first patrol, sent out orders. "All ships, return to assigned patrol routes, request for replacements for our losses have been sent to Council of Eight. Dal'Sein and Arachnia ships, follow me. We have a report to make." The ships belonging to Houses Arachnia and Dal'Sein left the sector, returning to Arach'Tuine. 

*** 

The air grew suddenly cold within the chamber. As if someone had flicked a switch and turned off the heat, Neeva's fever ended suddenly and she sat up within the tub. "I remember now. I remember how it started..."

A soothing calm flowed across the whole of the Dra'Keshi Empire when   
Neeva's fever finally broke. As the heat faded from her body, so too   
did the rage vanish from within the hearts of all Draks everywhere.   
Like a great sponge, the entire community began to absorb the   
information that was being slowly introduced into the vast mental   
network of which every Dra'Keshi was part of.  
  
Neeva and Tarsha working closely had managed to construct a basic   
premise of the entire Xin'Drak process. With input from Zylen, and   
several key fragments from Forsid, the two females felt confident   
that they had finally prepared a workable structure of the Xin'Drak   
ritual.  
  
Due entirely to the insights provided through Neeva's dreams, the   
entire empire was now aware that the spiders which had been   
encountered were merely vessels controlled from within by the "spider   
elves" or "Dr'owe" as had been revealed in her visions. Likewise   
known to all came the fact that the Dr'owe and Dra'Keshi lines traced   
back to a connecting point which made them a kinship race despite the   
rather expansive separation.  
  
The revelation that somewhere nearer to this connecting point their   
elven ancestors had created themselves, the Dra'Keshi, to be used as   
a devastating weapon against the Dr'owe had been understandably   
unsettling to the entire community.  
  
Zylen had refused to pass judgment upon the current policy with   
regards to the Dra'Keshi/Dr'owe conflict until more information could   
be obtained. While a wealth of knowledge was being brought to light   
by Neeva's continuing visions, all such information was outdated by 3   
millennia and they had no current understanding of their distant kin.   
The Dra'Keshi King had confirmed that the patrols within that narrow   
section of territory remain as full wings, however had commanded   
under penalty of death that no hostile actions be taken except in   
response to attack by or intrusion of the Dr'owe.  
  
Neeva and Tarsha, after examining and selecting 10 candidates from   
the vast flood of applications they received, began to instruct the   
selected group. These 10 would attempt a ritual that had not even   
been thought about for well over 2500 years. The model appeared   
sound and continued to gain affirmation from Neeva's visions. The   
training would take quite some time and might need to be reworked   
several times before any measure of success was achieved. Both of   
the females pouring themselves fully into this new endeavor, were   
confident that with patience and devotion the Xin'Drak could indeed   
be achieved.  
  
Lysia and T'yren, thankful for the apparent complete recovery of   
Neeva and the project which now kept her occupied, found much needed   
time to spend together as the time of their bonding drew near.

*****

Neeva and Tarsha took time out from their research only long enough to  
assist T'yren with a rather bold idea he had devised to gain more updated  
info about the spider elves. They were joined by Lysia and five of the most  
telepathically talented Dra'Keshi available.  
The concept was sound and there was every confidence that the attempt would  
succeed, however to what extent could only be known by trying it. T'yren  
would stand within the circle formed by the other eight Dra'Keshi. Focusing  
upon the mind he had felt during the skirmish, they would attempt a scrying  
upon that individual and see what might be learned.  
  
When all were gathered and ready for the casting, T'yren stood within the  
center and began focusing. Moving forward when they felt the focus had been  
established, the circle of Draks focused their scrying powers into T'yren.  
Feeling his perception cross over time and space, images began to appear  
within his mindsight. Fuzzy and out of focus at first, T'yren felt the  
power added by his companions and the vision before him slowly cleared into  
perfect focus.  
  
****  
  
A mind well guarded against mental intrusion. But the power being expended  
in this spell was enough to get past the mental defenses of Prenia Arachnia.  
T'yren could sense treachery and hate in this dr'owe, as well as jealousy.  
Prenia was jealous of her mother's place in the House hierarchy. He could  
also tell that she had been reading about the Dra'Keshi. The Dr'owe were  
aware of the Xin'Drak process, though they didn't know what it was. The  
Drak could also sense eagerness in the dr'owe priestess. Eagerness to meet  
the Dra'Keshi again. He stumbled upon a plan of Prenia's as well. If  
Prenia succeeded with this plan, her mother would not live another year.  
Her mother's name is Rowen Arachnia, daughter of First Matron Phaere  
Arachnia. The Drak probed a little deeper, looking for some hint as to  
common dr'owe battle strategy, but there was none. The dr'owe seemed to be a  
chaotic people, and everything they did reflected that. It seemed amazing  
that they had what appeared to be such an ordered government. But then,  
based on what he had learned so far, political intrigue was far from  
uncommon. Power seemed to be the driving motivator for their society. Then  
T'yren realized Prenia had become aware of the scrying. The Dr'owe  
Priestess attempted to grab the mind invading hers. She got a firm grip,  
but, thanks to the combined power used in the scrying, T'yren was able to  
break free, but it was a struggle. Prenia then locked her mind shut and  
nothing could get through.  
  
****  
  
Pulling his perception back to his present place and time, T'yren collapsed  
exhausted to the ground and was assisted by Lysia and Neeva back to his bed  
for a much-needed rest.  
  
Neeva and Tarsha had been making great progress with their plans for  
attempting the Xin'Drak ritual and notified all those who would participate  
to gather within the arena at mid-morn of the following day.  
  
At the appointed time, the volunteers were already assembled and waiting.  
Neeva and Tarsha would not be taking part in the actual transformation  
themselves as they needed to monitor the occurrence for further study and  
perfection of the process.  
According to the plans, the ten Dra'Keshi stood in a modified V formation.  
One stood at point with 4 in each wing of the formation and the last  
standing at center within the V. The chant was fairly simple, being only  
one step above a major cantrip.  
Keeping every sense they have both physical and mental trained upon the  
formation, Neeva and Tarsha could feel the power building around them until  
it changed suddenly and the whole group of them vanished from where they  
stood as they formed in unison into a truly majestic dragon. Easily ten  
times larger than even the largest and oldest Drak's natural form, the  
Xin'Drak merging appeared to be a complete success.  
With dismay, Neeva and Tarsha felt the coupling dissipate suddenly and all  
10 of the volunteers reappeared where they had stood before.  
  
While the process had been successful for a short time, it was obvious that  
more study and experimentation would be required before being released to  
the entire community. Neeva and Tarsha were pleased to find that all the  
volunteers had agreed to stay on with the project.

*****

T'yren slept peacefully as his dreams replayed the events of his look into  
the spider elf empire. The female mind he had linked to was powerful.  
Quite possibly much more powerful than his own in regards to psychic  
potential. He would need to take great care before touching upon that one  
again, the Drak's subconscious thoughts noted. He had already determined  
the next target for his research into the current spider elf lifestyle.  
Prenia had looked to the one known as Phaere as the leader of her people,  
thus the best insights would be gained there.  
Allowing his insights into that society float into the back of his  
awareness, T'yren turned his thoughts toward the rather unexpected force he  
had detected during his scrying.  
He had felt and mentally seen the psionic stream briefly as he was  
withdrawing from the scry attempt. Lying invisible to any but the most  
intense of mental sensings, the line of psychic power shimmered like a  
sapphire river across the vast distance of space. Recalling the brief flash  
he had seen to the fore of his thoughts, T'yren studied the layout of the  
psi-stream in more detail. Giving merit to the rumors that the Dra'Keshi  
and Dark elves were related, the line connected each of the three Drak  
homeworlds and the three worlds of the SQT Empire.  
T'yren noted with interest that unlike most such lines he had seen, which  
flowed in one direction from one point to another, this one flowed out from  
a central point between the two empires and in turn flowed back along it's  
underside to the center again. The fact that this central nexus of the  
psi-stream sat dead center within the disputed zone was not lost upon  
T'yren. Taking one final look at the layout, he received the odd impression  
that somehow these 6 homeworlds had at one time orbited a star located where  
the psi-nexus now stood.  
  
T'yren woke the next morning and felt much restored from his activities of  
the previous day. Heading over to the arena, he wrapped his arms around  
Lysia from behind. The queen stood leaning against a railing watching the  
current attempt to perform the Xin'Drak ritual.  
"How goes the experiment?" T'yren whispered into Lysia's ear as she clasped  
his hands into hers squeezing them lightly with approval of his welcome  
embrace.  
"Progressing..." She responded over her shoulder. "The merging lasted a  
full hour this time. Neeva and Tarsha are confident that with the info they  
have gathered from this trial they can achieve a stable merging by the  
week's end."  
Turning away from watching, as the enterprising Draks separated off after  
the test's conclusion, Lysia fixed her bright eyes upon T'yren's and smiled.  
"What of your own experiment? I sensed that it went well yesterday..."  
T'yren smiled in return and nodded affirmatively. "Quite well actually.  
Not only was I able to get some valuable insight into how our dark kin  
currently live, I believe I have discovered a rather significant anomaly  
which supports some very ancient theories. I intend to attempt another  
scrying shortly to get a second viewpoint of the spider elf society and  
another look at this psi-stream, which I shall be using to provide the needed  
boost for my scrying attempt. If you have no other plans for the next few  
hours I would welcome the company..."  
  
Lysia's smile was all the answer T'yren needed as the pair walked back to  
their home. Upon arriving and getting comfortable, T'yren took time to  
meditate and prepare for the mental journey he would soon take.  
Reaching a state of complete calm and focus, the male Drak allowed his  
awareness to be drawn into the flow of the psi-stream. Carried within the  
flow of the stream, T'yren's perception raced across the distance in seconds  
toward the focus. Not upon Prenia this time, his focus was instead upon  
Phaere, with hopes of gaining a separate perspective of the current state of  
the dark kin.  
  
*****  
  
Confidence. Cold cruelty. An utter lack of conscience. Treachery. Power,  
combined with a desire for more. These were the initial impressions T'yren  
got from the contact with Phaere Arachnia. Then she noticed him, and  
attempted to push him out of her mind with sheer mental force.  
  
The push came as a surprise, though not entirely unexpected. Rather than  
simply drifting back to himself this time, T'yren decided to press for an  
understanding of how adept his kin were in the mental talents.  
Similar to a fencer testing his opponent's skill, the male Drak struck out  
with a jab. Being a rather weak and low-range attack, the Dra'Keshi did not  
expect any success from it, and surely enough his jab bounced harmlessly off  
Phaere's mindshield.  
'Not bad...' His mental comment could be heard near the edge of the  
Matron's psychic defenses.  
  
'Thanks for the compliment' Phaere's mental retort was full of sarcasm. Her  
defenses were bolstered immediately even as she retaliated, sending stabs of  
mental energy toward T'yren's mind.  
  
Raising the stakes only slightly, he sent three rapid mental lances to  
different sections of the defended mind. Two of them had no effect while  
the third caused a slight tremor across the surface of the Dr'owe's  
shielding.  
'Not bad at all...'  
Ensuring that he still had several protective barriers of his own in place  
against counter-attack, T'yren focused a more powerful ram attack at the  
center of her mindshield and felt satisfaction as it punched through. The  
Dra'Keshi physically shuddered as his ram was caught by Phaere's second line  
of defense. Reluctantly but of absolute necessity, the Drak sacrificed the  
power of the ram to avoid being pulled into the mental twister.  
  
Phaere's counterattack was like a coiled viper striking it's prey. She  
stabbed at her opponent with what she referred to as "mental fangs". Had  
they managed to connect, the Dra'Keshi would have been left unconscious and  
totally vulnerable. The Dra'Keshi was able to fend them off.  
  
'Impressive...however...'  
Drawing from reserves, T'yren created a siphon. Like a striking cobra, the  
siphon latched onto the psiclone and pulled its energies into the  
Dra'Keshi's control.  
  
Phaere could feel the energies from her mental twister being pulled from  
her. A look of malice crossed her features as she bared her teeth and with  
a display of power, she wrenched the mental energies away from T'yren like a  
spider snatches its prey. The psiclone collapsed, but Phaere still had  
control. 'Very nice' she mentally told her opponent.  
  
She was certainly a capable if not equal opponent. T'yren mused as he  
sensed the surface of Phaere's mental tower behind where the psiclone had  
been. Pouring more energy into his last remaining defense, the  
triple-layered psi-globe shimmered with power.  
  
'The Dra'Keshi certainly are formidable' Phaere's mental compliment  
registered. She knew that for her to win this battle could take an  
extremely long time. T'yrene's psychic prowess was amazing. No wonder  
Prenia admitted he was a match, and more, for her. Phaere simply did not  
have time to continue this fight. With a powerful push of psionic energies,  
Phaere attempted to force T'yren's mind away from her. She was successful,  
but she had the feeling that it was her opponent who had retreated, by  
choice, not because of her psychic push.  
  
T'yren allowed his perception to slip back into the powerful current of the  
psi-stream as he broke off from the conflict with his capable opponent.  
The fight had been a near stalemate which surprised him, however it had been  
refreshing to find such a challenge in one not of his kind.  
  
Phaere called Prenia to her office, and the two began to study the psychic  
anomaly which both of them had noticed in their psionic encounters with the  
Dra'Keshi.  
  
*****  
  
Back within himself, T'yren opened his eyes and noted that Lysia had closed  
the curtains of their dwelling during his mental voyage and was lying upon  
the bed beside him with that familiar look in her eyes.  
Pleased to find that the psi-stream had functioned to prevent him from being  
physically drained by the encounter, the male Drak smiled down upon his love  
and leaned in for a passionate kiss. Vowing to carefully study the  
encounter later, T'yren locked it all away so that his full attention could  
be focused upon 'other matters'.

*****

T'yren's mind was dwelling upon what he had experienced with the Psi-streams  
and his conflict with Phaere. Arranging a time to speak with Neeva and  
Tarsha, none to easy considering their current devotion to the Xin'Drak  
experiment, he hoped to piece together a better understanding.  
Between what Neeva had learned from her visions and Tarsha's extensive  
research into the Dra'Keshi past, they were able to assemble a sound and  
accurate recreation.  
  
An'Drax and Wintevi had not been settled prior to the Cataclysm however they  
had both been under minimal Dra'Keshi influence. The order to avoid the  
three worlds controlled by the spider elves had been obeyed without  
incident. The creators had never returned to further instruct them on this  
matter and then the Cataclysm had severed all ties with those the Dra'Keshi  
had been born to destroy.  
When clans FlameTalon and SheerWing left Heartstone they had felt drawn to  
the two worlds that had remained near to Heartstone. With the creation of  
Valik's rite of Solo Combat, An'Drax had ceased to be a penal planet and was  
settled by FlameTalon. The old prison caverns had been sealed and Magnis  
was built atop them as the capital of planet which was renamed to Ember in  
honor of the Drak who had founded the FlameTalons.  
At around the same time Lysia and her followers had colonized Wintevi under  
the new name of Dervish. The planet had been found acceptable as a second  
homeworld prior to the Cataclysm that had halted those plans at the time.  
  
T'yren had revisited the most ancient corridors on Heartstone and found  
supporting diagrams etched into the walls showing the Origin system. The  
diagram included a 7th planet, which had been lost to knowledge following the  
Cataclysm that had formed the systems each of the remaining 6 planets now  
existed within.  
Upon returning to Dervish, T'yren slipped into meditation and studied the  
psi-streams without allowing his awareness to be drawn into them. He was  
unable to determine the reason, however the Dra'Keshi could feel a great  
strain upon the streams connected with the two systems that were most  
distant from the Psi-Nexus.  
  
Returning to himself, T'yren spent some time with Lysia. Noting that he  
seemed distant and preoccupied, the SheerWing queen asked her soon to be  
mate about what was bothering him.  
  
"We were created for a task..." T'yren began after a long pause. "It  
bothers me that we were used in such a way. Should we then simply follow  
the will of our creators without question? It does not feel... Right. We  
are more than a simple weapon to be used for a cause that no longer exists.  
I just don't like it and I for one will not be a pawn in some long forgotten  
game..."  
  
"I feel as you do my love, and shall discuss this with Zylen in depth.  
However he is king and has right to decide how we as a race shall proceed in  
relation with the spider elves. If it becomes Zylen's wish that we attack  
our ancient kin...will you follow the command?" Lysia responded softly.  
T'yren nodded silently, however the pained look upon his handsome elven  
features gave little support to his affirmation.  
  
The latest test of the Xin'Drak ritual was underway by the time Lysia  
arrived to observe. Neeva and Tarsha flanked her on either side and the  
queen could feel their anticipation at the hopeful result of this test.  
As they had done each time before, the volunteers gathered into the  
appropriate formation. One change had been made a short time back, which  
placed Lin'naae at the center of the formation, a position that had been  
designated as commander of the Xin'Drak form.  
As the magnificent dragon formed from the merging of the 10 chanting  
Dra'Keshi, the three observers could feel its power and grace as the  
immense dragon beat it's wings and soared ever higher into the skies above.  
  
Lin'naae could feel the power of the form around her and directed her "body"  
to rise out of the planet's atmosphere. The test now called for them, as  
the Xin'Drak, to make a quick flight around all three systems of the empire  
and end with some target practice upon a lifeless asteroid.  
The flight around the homeworlds took much less time than had been  
estimated. Stretching it's great wings Xin'Drak Lin'naae, which was the  
designation this new form had been given, made the full circuit of the  
homeworlds in just over an hour. Much faster than any other Drak in normal  
draconic form had been capable. It took Lin'naae a while to become  
accustomed to the way this new shape of their combined selves performed,  
however she gradually became more comfortable with it and issued the mental  
wish to breath upon the target asteroid.  
Similar to the feeling Lin'naae experienced, the Dra'Keshi who had been at  
point of the formation felt the command directed upon him and it took a  
short while for him to become accustomed to the action. Finally the breath  
issued forth from the great dragon's maw and impacted upon the distant chuck  
of rock with a force that vaporized it entirely.  
  
Upon returning to the Dervish Arena and returning to their individual selves  
at Lin'naae's command rather than being forced out of the shape as had  
occurred several times prior, the team of Dra'Keshi all cheered happily at  
the success. As reward for their efforts and bravery in this experiment,  
Lysia promoted the entire group into military service as a specialized team.  
Following the end of the day's testing, the group of excited Draks headed  
off together for a much-deserved celebration of the achievement, which began  
a new era for the Dra'Keshi.  
  
Turning together, Neeva and Tarsha began making plans for a follow-up test  
exercise that would involve performing the ritual while in space.  
Theoretically the combining should be identical from either elven or dragon  
form, yet both of them wanted to make absolutely certain that they had  
explored all the avenues before releasing the knowledge to the entire  
community.  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, on the distant planet of Ember.  
  
Seldak rose from his long slumber with an evil cast to his spectral eyes.  
All was dark around him, yet he did not see in a mortal way anymore. The  
time had come for vengeance. Floating silently through the sealed caverns  
of his prison, the ghostly spirit reached out to his followers. 500 of them  
beside himself had joined in the ritual which preserved their spirits long  
after their mortal forms had become dust.  
'The time has come my brothers and sisters!' Seldak's spirit called to the  
many spirits around him.  
'Our living kin shall soon feel the pain they so cruelly inflicted upon us.  
Clan SpiritFang shall bare it's teeth at last...'

Seldak floated silently before the arrayed gathering of Dra'Keshi spirits  
before him.  
How greatly he wished to pour his anger and hate out upon Valik who had  
exiled him to An'Drax so very long ago. Knowing that was an impossibility,  
the SpiritFang leader consoled himself with the thought that he could at the  
least have revenge upon Valik's children.  
The five hundred spirits who looked to him as leader would remain loyal to  
the last. He had promised them vengeance and the opportunity to strike back  
at those who had sentenced them to death. Had any mortal been able to hear  
the supporting cheers of Seldak's followers, the sound of it would have  
chilled their blood to the core.  
  
Unfettered by physical forms, the horde of Clan SpiritFang roared through  
the ancient sealed tunnels of their prison toward the surface where they  
would at long last get the pleasure of feasting upon the life of the  
descendants of their jailors.  
  
*****  
  
Forsid sat restlessly upon his throne. The day felt wrong to him somehow.  
He could not place the feeling, just that he felt uneasy as if something bad  
were about to happen.  
  
The sense of an evil presence and death struck the ancient Dra'Keshi several  
moments before the reports began to arrive. An injured Dra'Keshi warrior  
stumbled into his audience chamber, his left arm hanging withered and  
useless at his side where ghostly claws had raked deep into his flesh. The  
wounded elf managed to deliver his report that the village of Tillenti had  
been overrun by a horde of spectral minions, some of whom had been  
recognized as criminals sent to this world back when it had been a prison  
planet.  
  
Several other reports arrived both mentally and by survivors from many of  
the other smaller cities across the planet. For the time being, the undead  
Draks appeared to only be striking the most remote and sparsely populated  
areas, however Forsid was certain this conflict would not end there.  
Sending a mental alert to all of the habitants of Ember, the FlameTalon  
leader called for all Dra'Keshi who were able to gather at the capital.  
Mages were dispatched throughout the city to erect shielding which would  
hopefully be able to hold back the spectral Draks.  
Moving into the council chamber, Forsid sent a brief communication to king  
Zylen detailing the situation. When enough of his commanders had arrived to  
begin the meeting, the war council of Ember began to discuss the options for  
defending against this unexpected assault.  
'For the time being...' Forsid mentally suggested when Zylen opened a  
connection to him. 'I regretfully advise that Ember be quarantined so that  
none leave the planet. I am unsure if these spirits are able to travel the  
distance to the other homeworlds. If they are not capable of space flight I  
do not wish to risk having them hitch along with anyone leaving here. I  
must sadly instruct that any Dra'Keshi leaving the vicinity of Ember be  
considered rogue and terminated immediately.'  
Zylen acknowledged Forsid's observations and remorsefully agreed with the  
ancient Drak's decision. The king activated a large portion of both the EV  
and SW clan forces to curtain the area around Ember in a patrol net with  
orders to attack anyone leaving the planet.  
  
Lysia extended her sorrow at this turn of events and offered full support  
from SheerWing clan towards resolving the matter.  
  
With Ember effectively sealed off from the rest of the empire, Forsid turned  
his full attention toward dealing with the unnatural threat before them.  
All told, the reports indicated that roughly 3000 Dra'Keshi had fallen to  
the surprise attack and not one of the enemies could be counted among the  
dead. Except for a few who had either refused to leave their homes or were  
for one reason or another unable to reach Magnis, nearly all the population  
of Ember had been accounted for. The capital, designed to house 14,000  
comfortably, was near bursting with the over 45,000 Dra'Keshi currently  
sheltering within it's walls.  
While overcrowding was a definite concern, the major issues were defense  
against the spectral foes and food. Being unable to leave the planet, the  
Dra'Keshi would have no access to the Farble herds on the grassland planets.  
Somehow Zylen had already anticipated that problem and had mobilized a large  
portion of the non-military populace from both Heartstone and Dervish to  
begin dropping bundles of freshly killed meat to the besieged people of  
Ember. It took several failed attempts to get the proper positioning  
accurate before the bundles began to drift down to the waiting Draks within  
Magnis.  
  
Thankful that the food situation was at least moderately under control,  
Forsid and his commanders turned to the more present danger of the  
SpiritFangs and how to combat them. The unanswered question which continued  
to arise being. How do you kill that which is already dead?

*****

The siege was not going well. Forsid studied the diagrams with   
disappointment as he saw the inevitable conclusion to the threat   
before him.  
Clan SpiritFang, as reports had it they were calling themselves, had   
encircled Magnis within a constricting ring, which was tightening down   
upon the living Dra'Keshi without quarter or pause.  
The people of Ember had been forced to fall back twice now, being   
packed even more tightly near the center of the capital, as the   
undead Draks had found ways through the magical barriers formed by   
the mages. Hundreds had fallen to slow the spectral foes while the   
rest regrouped deeper within Magnis.  
Now, with nowhere else to go, the living Dra'Keshi stood firm to face   
what would likely be their final stand.  
And then without explanation the assault stopped abruptly. The   
undead had not departed entirely, Forsid could still feel them   
gathered a distance away within one of the cities they had devastated   
earlier.  
  
*****  
  
"Have you forgotten what they did to us?" Seldak fumed. "You would   
not be here now if they had not sentenced you to the same honorless   
death which was forced upon us all..."  
  
"You go too far!" Alyndra countered unswayed.  
Having watched the madness with which Seldak was killing every living   
Dra'Keshi they came upon, she had finally had enough of his mindless   
vengeance and taken a stand against his leadership.  
With the support of over a third of the undead Dra'Keshi, Alyndra had   
challenged Seldak as he stood on the brink of destroying the entire   
civilization on Ember.  
  
"Coward!" The SpiritFang leader spat as he faced the rival spectral   
female within a deserted city some distance from the capital. "If   
you have not the nerve for this then perhaps you should depart to the   
spirit realm and leave this matter to those of us with the will to   
carry it out."  
  
"A coward would not be here defying you now would one?" Alyndra   
rebuffed, showing no fear in the face of the undead Drak's hostile   
posture. "No! I am not a coward by disputing your pointless   
attack. However I do have a soul, something of which you seem   
lacking. Hatred has consumed you and there is naught of Dra'Keshi   
left within the shade I see before me now. You are an empty shell of   
rage and nothing more, I for one will not follow such a THING!"  
The spectral female's words seemed to stir something within Seldak's   
supporters and many of them moved to stand with Alyndra so that the   
numbers became a near even split, with each of the two prominent   
spirits holding support over half of the original number.  
  
A faint light flickered within the female's eyes as she struck the   
final blow in this verbal battle. "If you wish to destroy our living   
kin, you will have to get past us first!"  
Amidst ghostly cheers of agreement, Alyndra's supporters followed her   
as they floated off silently to encircle Magnis, this time not to   
destroy but rather to defend.  
  
"So be it!" Seldak cursed at the departing group's back. Things had   
taken an unsettling turn and he was hesitant to throw his full force   
against Alyndra and her followers. His main target was the family of   
Valik, those who shared a direct bloodline back to his ancient   
nemesis. None of that line would be found here, and while Forsid was   
a tempting victory the greater pleasure would be in slaughtering   
Valik's line on Heartstone.  
  
*****  
  
Forsid was startled when the mental connection brushed upon his mind,   
it was unlike any other he had ever felt and suddenly he realized   
that one of the undead was politely requesting communication.  
Allowing the connection, the FlameTalon leader listened carefully to   
what Alyndra explained of the situation, however he remained cautious   
that this may be some sort of trick or deception.  
Responding that he and his people were appreciative of her noble   
action, yet they would not release the magical barriers simply on   
words alone.  
The spectral female expressed understanding and assured that no   
offense was taken by that prudent decision.  
Following the advice of Alyndra, Forsid did order his mages to push   
the magical barriers back out to the edge of the city and fortified   
them in the ways that Alyndra had revealed would better protect   
against another spectral assault.  
  
Somewhere deep inside, Forsid felt he could trust this female   
completely, however his caution remained as many lives were at stake   
should his impression be incorrect.  
  
*****  
  
Leaving 50 of his loyal forces on Ember to monitor and keep him   
informed of the situation there, Seldak and the rest of his force   
departed from their ancient prison. Slipping easily through the   
patrol net around Ember, the spirits killed the few living Dra'Keshi   
they encountered and made full speed for Heartstone before the rest   
of the net could react to the escape.  
  
Like a silent, deadly mist. The forces of SpiritFang, still 200   
strong, raced toward Valik's Keep where they would taste the sweet   
fruits of the revenge they had waited so long to partake of...

*****

The small group left behind by Seldak were sorely unprepared for the storm that fell upon them following the departure of their leader.

Sensing the absence of the evil Dra'Keshi spectre, Alyndra marshaled her loyal followers in preparation to eliminate the small contingent that had been left behind on Ember.

In a show of faith, Forsid had sent a small force of mages to aid in purging this evil from his home.

Even as the strike force departed from Magnis, Forsid quickly contacted Zylen to inform him of the immanent threat to Heartstone and included what he had learned thus far as tactics for defending against the non-corporal spirits.

Following the advice of Alyndra, the living Dra'Keshi mages had prepared a variety of energy based spells which the honorable female spirit felt certain could cause harm to their insubstantial forms.

Despite the surprise of the assault and Seldak's group being vastly outnumbered, the fight still took quite some time. In the end the evil spirits were all banished, however had succeeded in taking their equal in numbers with them to the spirit realm.

Quickly communicating back to Forsid which spells had been most effective against the undead Draks, the mixed group of living and spectral Dra'Keshi returned as one back to Magnis. It was a small victory to be certain, yet a victory nonetheless.

Providing his king with this newly acquired information, Forsid offered any further support that he could provide in helping deal with the threat.

Knowing that she and her followers were best suited to combat Seldak and his minions, Alyndra selected 100 of her loyal group to remain at Ember in case Seldak turned back. With the rest of her group following closely behind, Alyndra made all possible speed toward Heartstone to aid in the fight that was sure to be raging by the time they arrived.

Forsid was not about to deny the request as all the mages who had joined the female spirit to battle the small group asked for the honor to join the battle upon Heartstone as well.

With their leader's blessing the group of Dra'Keshi mages made haste to catch-up with their departing spectral kin. All within Alyndra's group including the addition of the mages who joined them in flight understood that this would quite likely be the last flight they took, however knowing that if they could at the least stop or reduce Seldak and his troop enough the others would stand a much better chance for survival.

*****

Seldak felt an odd thrill as he and the rest of the SpiritFangs began to descend toward the capital of Heartstone. They had encountered only minimal resistance and dealt with the few defenders they met quickly and efficiently.

The ancient undead Dra'Keshi was about to order a full assault when something unexpected and unfamiliar brushed against his awareness.

She was not Dra'Keshi, which was obvious. Something in her manner however struck the spectre as being intriguing and he ordered his clan to hold position while he paused to hear what this female of differing elven descent would tell him...


	3. Awakening 3

Written in cooperation with Franklin Vittoe.
    
     
    
    *****
    
     

Things were quiet aboard the Border Security Station. If any hostile   
actions were taken by the Dra'Keshi, then the Spidership patrols would   
probably take care of it before word even reached the station. Then, one of   
the Dr'owe noticed something.  
  
A small energy spike kept appearing on his monitor. He suspected a   
malfunction, and made a few adjustments. "There it is again." he thought to   
himself. Aloud, he said, "Mistress, you should come see this."  
  
The commanding Priestess walked over to his station. "What is it?"  
  
"I keep getting this odd energy reading. It originates from inside   
Dra'Keshi space. It seems to be coming from the central homeworld."  
  
The priestess studied it for a moment. "Can you filter the signal? Perhaps   
we can get a better fix on it, and tell what kind of energy it is."  
  
The male dr'owe pressed a few buttons and turned a dial, and the signal grew   
a little clearer. "At first I thought it was a malfunction, but apparently   
its real." he said.  
  
"Apparently. That is almost identical to the signature given by necromantic   
energies. Almost, but not quite. Communications, contact Prenia Arachnia's   
quarters and ask her to come up here."  
  
The comm officer did as ordered, and a few minutes later a rather ruffled   
and half~dressed Prenia Arachnia arrived at the stations control center.   
"This had better be good, I was just in the middle of the attentions of a   
rather attractive Dal'Sein male!"  
  
The commanding priestess cleared her throat. "My apologies, Priestess   
Prenia, but you should see this." Prenia walked over to the station, and   
stood next to the other priestess.  
  
"That looks...necromantic. But the Dra'Keshi don't use necromancy that we   
know of. A faerie elf would never do so, and the Dra'Keshi are descended   
from them. But something isn't right. It isn't quite necromantic, but very   
similar. Some sort of intelligent undead?"  
  
"You tell me. I am just a station commander, not the Granddaughter of the   
First Matron."  
  
"It would have to be either a very powerful being, or several undead   
together to register this far from the source." the male put in.  
  
"Shut up! and don't speak unless spoken too, male!" both priestesses   
sneered, simultaneously.  
  
"I will contact it." Prenia sat down in the command chair, an act which did   
not go unnoticed by the station commander, though she wouldn't dare   
reprimand a daughter of House Arachnia, at least not in public. Later,   
perhaps Prenia would hear about it, but not now.  
  
Prenia sent her mind out, and found the psychic ley~line that led to the   
Dra'Keshi world. She had used it three times, most recently on a trip with   
Phaere Arachnia. She followed the line to the world, and using her   
abilities to mask her psionic signature, she located the source of the   
signal. Apparently, her shielding wasn't good enough for the signal's   
source detected her. It was apparently a large group of undead, elven in   
origin, though there was a malevolence about them Prenia found both fearful   
and comforting.  
  
"I am Prenia Arachnia, a Daughter of House Arachnia, and a Dr'owe elf."   
Prenia was confident enough not to fear identifying herself. She could   
fight the being if that proved necessary, or retreat. Besides, she had   
several powerful mental shields in place if the being attacked. Prenia was   
not going to initiate hostilities, though. One could never tell exactly how   
powerful an undead being was. "I seek...information. I wish to know what   
you are. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement mutually beneficial to us.   
I can sense your power, and ask, what is your purpose? Perhaps my people   
can assist you?"  
  
Prenia then waited for the beings reply.

*****

"You are simply fortunate that this is not a Dra'Keshi trick to try and stall me! If it were I would taste it no matter how well concealed, and would have bound your soul to watch helplessly while I consumed the flesh from your bones. But since you are not Dra'Keshi it matters not."

"My purpose is quite simple actually. I shall destroy all Dra'Keshi everywhere, beginning with the children of he who made me this way. Assist me?"

Seldak's awareness broke into a fit of eerie laughter.

"How could one such as I need assistance? I do thank you for the humor however, it has been long since I have felt mirth such as that. Now perhaps when I sit as king over the undead remains of the Dra'Keshi Empire we will have more to discuss, for now however I have a kingdom to crush."

Breaking off the connection with the mysterious elven female, Seldak was once again about to order his forces to assault the capital when yet another interruption halted his intentions cold.

Seldak's discussion with Prenia had given Alyndra and her force the time needed to catch-up with Seldak's force. Turning with a fierce growl toward the approaching force, the SpiritFangs were showered with energy as several force globes drifted into their midst and exploded.

Utilizing another tactic, which had been unavailable to them during the conflict on the surface of Ember, the living Dra'Keshi released a devastating volley of white-hot solar breath into the undead troops of Seldak. Howling in anger and disappointment, nearly a quarter of the evil undead were sent screaming into the spirit realm in the face of the long-ranged assault before clan SpiritFang was able to close for combat.

Boosted by the living mage's magic and using tactics they had developed during the conflict on Ember, Alyndra and her forces fared much better in this aerial battle than had been expected.

Despite the best efforts of the honorable undead Dra'Keshi, Seldak was able to get a group of his followers past the spectral foes and into the midst of the living mages. Striking at the rear of the invading force, they were however unsuccessful in saving any of those brave living Dra'Keshi who had joined with Alyndra.

Setting aside the un-life or death nature of the conflict, the battle being waged across the skies of Heartstone was a truly breathtaking view to behold as the huge spectral dragons danced through the air performing strikes and parries against their similarly insubstantial opponents.

The two spectral leaders faced off with a fairly even number of forces on either side. Alyndra's group had taken a loss of over half the original force to around 50 in number, while Seldak had fared much worse with only a quarter of his original group.

Yet another distraction arose to harass Seldak's attention as a force of living Dra'Keshi rose into the skies from the direction of the capital. Leading his wing of elite Wingriders, Onshir'Valik raced toward the skirmish. The scent of blood from the line of Valik infuriated Seldak as he ordered his squad to turn and destroy the approaching wing, yet commanded that the leader of that group was his alone.

Seldak cared little that his order would leave Alyndra's force at their backs and was indeed a complete tactical error of judgment. His awareness, having sensed the blood of his ancient jailor, snapped to a single mindless focus...to slay the Valik at all cost.

Having taken the advice passed along from Alyndra, Onshir and his wing had enchanted their claws and fangs with energy auras to aid them in dealing damage to the insubstantial foes they would be facing.

Unable to use their breath for fear of hitting Alyndra's forces, Onshir and his wing raced into the fray without pause. The resulting conflict was violent and deadly as Onshir and his elite clashed with Seldak and his unnatural forces.

Using the advantage to full effect, Alyndra closed from behind to envelope the evil Draks in death.

Facing off against Onshir, Seldak managed to wound the king's son deeply along his right side, however paid for that small measure of satisfaction with a large portion of his remaining force and a near fatal slash to his ghostly neck.

For the first time since he had been exiled to An'drax nearly 3 millennia ago, Seldak felt fear. Breaking away from his battle with the wounded Onshir'Valik, Seldak fled the field with the dozen of his followers that remained tied to unlife with him. Racing off into space, Seldak knew not where he was going. Only that he had been beaten...beaten badly...

*****

Continuing their research and development into the applications of merging   
Dra'Keshi forms, Neeva and Tarsha were prepared to begin the most recent in   
what had become a huge project. Working off their success with the first  
Xin'Drak team, the pair of Dra'Keshi females had formed several more teams   
out of the ever-growing number of volunteers that arrived to signup for the   
project. The pair soared in high orbit over Dervish while the team  
assembled into formation. Extending their plan to encompass the accident   
, which had allowed an additional "rider" to enter into the formation at the   
moment of its formation and thus be incorporated into the whole, a new   
variable was about to be tested.  
  
A volunteer from clan SpiritFang floated silently nearby waiting the signal   
to enter the formation. The concept of introducing one of the spectral   
Dra'Keshi had been approached with extreme caution and taking into account   
every possible outcome. Finally the panel that was comprised of Neeva,   
Tarsha, Lysia, T'yren, and a representative from Heartstone, had determined  
that the experiment could be safely attempted.  
  
Moving into the formation when the signal was given, the spectral Drak joined   
the merging forms as the volunteers became one large individual form. The   
two female observers then extended their tuned senses to monitor the  
Necro'Drak. It was still solid in form, yet had a hazy aura to it, which   
gave the entire dragon an almost ethereal appearance. Sending a suggestion   
to the Necro'Drak that they go on a patrol run to further test the bond,   
Neeva and Tarsha slipped into place a distance behind as the huge ethereal   
dragon made speed for the area of space which had become known as the  
Disputed Zone.  
  
******  
The cloaked Stealth Spider moved through space, cloaked, on its patrol route   
in the Disputed Zone. A light on the tactical station screen came on.  
  
"Commander Teliel, we have something on long range sensors, coming from   
Dra'Keshi space."  
  
"Can you get a visual?" the male commander asked.  
  
"No, sir, it's too far away."  
  
"Well, we're cloaked. Helm, move us in for a closer look."  
  
"Aye, sir."  
  
The Stealth Spider moved closer to the Necro'Drak.  
  
"Commander, it's in visual range, and...In the Name of The Spider Queen...."  
  
"On screen", Commander Teliel ordered.  
  
"That is the biggest Drak I have ever heard of." the Commander breathed.  
  
"That's not the half of it, sir. I get necromantic readings from the thing.   
Similar to the ones that border station picked up a few weeks ago." the   
tactical officer said.  
  
"I see. Well, with something that big, those cursed Dra'Keshi elves   
obviously plan to go on the offensive. Communications, send out a request   
for aid. Combat possible...I want two more cloaked Stealth Spiders here, as   
well as two Black Widows, and a Tarantula. And I want them here five   
minutes ago!"  
  
"Aye sir. Attention Spidership patrols in Disputed Zone. This is Stealth   
Spider 8 Omega 9 beta alpha. Request immediate aid. Dra'Keshi  
encountered at these coordinates. Two cloaked Stealth Spiders, two Black   
Widows and one Tarantula needed immediately. Dra'Keshi apparently plan to   
strike."  
  
Seconds later, the requested ships sent acknowledgement of the request and   
moved quickly to the area. The Stealth Spiders remained cloaked, and the   
Black Widows and the Tarantula, upon detecting the monstrous Necro'Drak   
assumed attack formation. The Tarantula's Preistess~Commander, the highest  
ranking officer present, took command of the squadron.  
  
"All ships, this is Preistess~Commander I'leia Tel'Daerien, of House   
Tel'Daerien. Power weapons and attack at will. Stealth Spiders, provide   
cover."  
  
The Spiderships acknowledged their orders. The Stealth Spiders began   
zipping around, stopping, decloaking, firing manually and recloaking, some  
shots hitting glancing blows, others flying wide of the mark, no real damage   
being done. The Tarantula and the Black Widows opened up with Fleet Lasers,   
Radiance Missiles and Necro~Phasers.  
*******  
  
Neeva and Tarsha were rather surprised that the mere presence of the   
Necro'Drak near the Disputed Zone was enough to draw a force of the   
SpiderShips into attack stance, yet as it would prove an excellent way of   
testing it's combat effectiveness neither of them moved to interfere as the   
huge dragon closed to long range and studied the force arrayed before it.  
Filling its great lungs, the monstrosity opened its maw in a roar, which   
was highlighted by a stream of phased light and energy 90 feet in diameter.   
The breath lanced out at the speed of its makeup on an unerring path  
toward the center of the largest opponent visible, the Tarantula. The large   
Spidership's shields shuddered and flickered under the punishment of the   
massive continuous stress of the weapon, while the phased light strands  
passed through without pause and burned directly into the hull of the   
vessel.  
  
"Its breath weapon is altered." Tarsha commented from their position far   
behind the combat.  
  
"Indeed. Unexpected to be sure, yet seemingly effective..." Neeva replied   
as they continued to observe the skirmish. Occasionally as a passing   
Dra'Keshi on patrol drew near and moved to enter the fray, Neeva or Tarsha   
would warn them off as this particular test was for the Xin'Drak alone at   
this time. Moving on as requested the patrols continued separate of the  
battle taking place nearby.  
  
"Mistress, incoming..." the tactical officer screamed.  
  
"Shields!...increase power to the shields, damn you!" the   
Preistess~Commander ordered.  
  
"Too late...shields won't hold!" That was the last words the Tarantula's   
tactical officer would ever utter.  
  
Unable to hold under the continuous stream of phased light, the Tarantula's   
shields collapsed as the entire beam of solid and phased light leapt forward   
to impact upon the section of hull already weakening from holes formed by   
the phased light impacts. With a violent shuddering of its eight legs, the   
Tarantula vessel's innards opened for view to the battle participants   
beneath the steady stream of burning light. Tearing out the opposite side  
of the vessel, the stream of light continued off along the straight line of   
its path. Blinking into sight directly in the path of the exiting light   
stream, a Stealth Spider jumped visibly as it darted aside just barely in   
time to avoid the beam and received only a raw looking burn along one side   
due to it's quick movement. As the last of the breath beam faded  
into the darkness of space, the red glow of the still burning Tarantula as   
it drifted off in two parts, lit the battlefield with an eerie light.  
  
Ignoring the fleet lasers which bounced harmlessly off it's reflective skin   
and only minorly discomforted by the touch of the Necro-phaser hits, the   
huge Necro'Drak had several red welts from Radiance missile explosions which   
seem to only further anger the huge creature as it turned it's gaze upon the  
two smaller ships. Having given up on trying to follow the movements of the   
Stealth Spiders, the combined talent of ten joined Dra'Keshi was focused   
into a storm of ice directed toward the Black Widows. Roaring in anger as   
another missile blast left a livid red burn across the right side of it's   
face, the Xin'Drak released the magic in the form of a ball of ice the size  
of a small asteroid centered between the two visible vessels. Two small   
sections split off from the ball to drift harmlessly off into  
space as a few lucky fleet laser shots cut into the ice ball. The remaining   
large mass continued on course to a point just between the two Black Widows   
where it exploded violently sending thousands of large, razor-sharp ice  
shards toward the two ships, while spraying the rest out through the battle   
field around them. The shields held against most of the impacts, although   
along one side of the nearer of the two took a few hits from rather large   
shards which punched two holes through the hull in the spider's side.  
  
Shaking one massive claw that tingled painfully following another missile   
impact, the Necro'Drak decided against further casting and flicked its   
massive wings as it glided in to grapple the two spiders. Reaching for one  
with either of it's front claws it batted an unexploded missile harmlessly   
off into space as it had been too near the launching vessel to arm fully.  
  
"Commander Teliel, Necro~Phasers almost completely ineffective. Somehow,   
they have become protected against them. That might explain the necromantic   
readings we got earlier."  
  
"I suppose it would." Teleil replied.  
  
That was when the Stealth Spider heard a hail sent to the remaining   
Spiderships, three Stealth Spiders and a Black Widow, on a secure frequency.  
  
"This is Seldak, a Shadow Drak in service to House Arachnia. We are here to   
cover your retreat, it seems."  
  
Commander Teliel replied, "Acknowledged, Seldak. House Arachnia has our   
thanks, in The Name of The Spider Queen. Commander Teliel out."  
  
The Stealth Spiders signaled their retreat to the remaining Black Widow.   
The Black Widow decided to stay to lend aid to the Shadow Draks.  
  
The Stealth Spiders then decloaked, fired everything they had at the   
gargantuan Xin'Drak, then cloaked and fled.  
  
The Shadow Draks took up an attack formation around the Xin'Drak while it   
was occupied by the Stealth Spiders, and the Black Widow fired Radiance   
Missile after Radiance Missile at the monster. The Shadow Draks then fired   
their bolts of lightning at the beast. The Black Widow sent a message to   
the Shadow Draks that necromantic weapons were largely ineffective, halting   
their impulse to use their necromantic breath weapons. But they could   
detect living Dra'Keshi and would certainly attempt to drain their life   
force.  
*****  
  
"Interesting..." Tarsha commented and observed. "The missiles are   
disrupting the cohesion of the Xin'Drak form slightly...as were the   
Necro-phasers to a lesser degree."  
"Yes! I noticed that also... It appears to have only 60% of the cohesion   
it had at creation. Perhaps magic could be included during the formation to   
strengthen the bond somewhat..." Neeva suggested and noted the attention of   
a few of the newly arrived Shad'Draks, which they had come to be named  
within the Dra'Keshi Empire. With a mental tug focused upon Tarsha, Neeva   
withdrew further from the battle site and joined a moderate sized group of   
scouts that had paused to watch the fight. Nearly two full wings (38) had  
gathered in a small mass a fair distance from the skirmish and within those   
numbers the pair of females felt relatively secure that the Shad'Draks would   
not become a difficulty to their continued observations.  
  
Closing a massive claw over the Black Widow with a sickening crunching   
sound, the Necro'Drak turned it's attention fully upon the arrayed   
Shad'Draks.  
  
The lightning attack raising a roar of pain and anger from the Xin'Drak.   
For but an instant the huge dragon form flickered and 11 individual forms   
could be seen before it became one solid form again.  
  
Narrowing it's eyes as the creature calmed itself and lashed out with it's   
long supple tail to encircle one of Seldak's 13 followers in a constricting   
grip which had the Xin'Drak been of normal form would have passed through it  
harmlessly. However the spectral aura of the Necro'Drak gave it power in   
that realm of being and the unfortunate follower of Seldak dissipated into   
true death under the pressure of the embrace.  
  
Seldak took grim note of the loss of one of his followers and the Black   
Widow. Obviously, the Theocracy forces were overmatched. But Seldak had   
one more trick up his sleeve. Due to their undead nature, the Shadow Draks   
could sense several life~forces making up the gargantuan monster before   
them. Seldak sent a command to his 12 remaining followers to lock in on an  
individual life force, drain as much energy from it as possible, and retreat   
at full  
speed in different directions, to meet again above Arach'Tuine. Seldak   
hoped that this would be enough to weaken the Xin'Drak enough that the   
individuals comprising it would break apart, perhaps killing some of them.  
  
The Shadow Draks spread out in such a manner that it would be impossible to   
fight more than one of them at once, and sent their life draining powers not   
at the whole Xin'Drak, but at the individual life forces they detected in  
it. They decided to hold out until the Xin'Drak either broke apart, or   
until it attacked one of the Shadow Draks, whichever came first. Then they   
would make for the safety of the Theocracy side of the border. If any of   
the Dra'Keshi followed them, they would meet a fleet of Spiderships, and   
most likely be beaten back.  
*******  
Commander Teliel Arachnia wondered exactly how he would explain this one to   
Mez'Barria. "But", the commander thought to himself, "at least I don't have   
to tell Matron Phaere directly..."  
  
His tactical officer spoke up. "Sir, we have studied the sensor logs of the   
battle, and there are some interesting readings here."  
  
"Do elaborate." Teliel ordered.  
  
"Well, sir, as you saw, the Necro~Phasers, which are usually devastating to  
the Dra'Keshi had little effect. Of course, Fleet Lasers mean nothing to   
their reflective skin. The Radiance Missiles hurt the thing. Also, as we   
left, we picked up something. The Xin'Drak seemed to nearly break apart.   
This leads me to believe that it has a weakness. The Radiance Missiles   
affect the magical cohesion that holds the thing together."  
  
"Wonderful" the commander began. "So for the Theocracy to score a victory   
in a battle with Xin'Draks, we have to risk losing a lot of Spiderships just   
so we can break apart the thing!"  
  
"Perhaps, or we could just increase the payload of the Radiance Missiles."   
the tactical officer replied.  
  
"I see. And that leads me to another idea. What if we changed the Radiance   
Missile's payload? What if we used positive and negative energies as the   
payload?"  
  
"I see where you're going, Commander. That would, when the positive and   
negative energies collide, create one hell of an explosion. And that would,   
in all likelihood, be extremely disruptive to the Xin'Drak."  
  
"I'll certainly include that in my report to High Priestess Mez'Barria.   
Might save me a little pain." the commander said grimly. "Take us to House   
Arachnia's underground docking facility in Bain're.  
  
*****  
  
Neeva and Tarsha watched with concern as the Shad'Draks spread out and   
initiated a rather unexpected tactic. The huge Necro'Drak likewise roared   
in anger and pain as the necromantic assault took hold of the life of two of   
the individuals within the shared form. Unable to maintain the cohesive   
bond that held the large dragon form together, the Xin'Drak broke apart   
unexpectedly resulting in the death of over half the squad. Of the original   
11, only 4 Dra'Keshi and the spectre remained whole while the rest of the   
group never regained solid form during the collapse of their shared form.  
  
Seldak and his squad were not unaffected by the Xin'Drak explosion as the   
sudden feedback knocked several of them out of phase and one of them even   
dissolved entirely from the backlash. Retreating back into SQT space,  
Seldak and the 11 remnants of his squad vanished behind the line of waiting  
Spider ships to regroup in relative safety and return to House Arachnia's   
compound.  
  
At the command of Neeva, the remainder of the Necro'Drak group also   
retreated from the disputed zone as they followed the pair of female   
Dra'Keshi back to Dervish. With the show seemingly over, the large group of  
Dra'Keshi onlookers filtered off to resume their assigned routes with mixed   
feelings regarding the outcome of the skirmish they had just been witness   
to.  
  
One other witness of the battle returned it's view screen to normal   
magnification and turned to rejoin the squadron of StarChasers from which  
they had separated to investigate the odd readings they had been receiving.


End file.
